COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS. 669 
a tree near the house, I also observed, that all the fruit-buds were regularly ta- 
ken off the finer sorts of gooseberries, of which I was an extensive grower, when 
the smaller and common kinds escaped ; now am I to conclude that the insects 
infested the plums, a distance from the house and not those near to it ? or that 
they attacked the superior sorts of Lancashire gooseberries, and left the conmion 
ones untouched } 
Or should I not be more correct in attributing my crop of plums near my 
house to the public situation of the trees, and the number of persons constantly 
moving about near them ? and the losing the crop of large gooseberries when 
the smaller were secure, to the size of the bud, offering a greater temptation to 
the depredator to take it ? 
A few years since, I was surprised to see the snow under a May-Duke Cherry, 
covered with husks of buds, which I found were taken off by the common spar- 
row ; had they not been prevented, they would have taken the whole, yet those 
preserved produced fruit : at another time, I saw a bullfinch alight on a cheriy- 
tree, and before I could charge a gun, he had completely stripped every blossom 
bud from one long branch, yet all the others were full of fruit ; can any one 
suppose, that the sparrows would not have stripped the first tree, had they not 
been discovered I or can it be imagined for one moment, that every blossom-bud, 
on a particular branch of the second should have an insect in, when all others 
were free and produced a good crop of fruit ? 
I should be much obliged to any correspondent, who could explain this appa- 
rent contradiction to the statement alluded to. 
An Ameteur Horticulturist. 
January lOtk, 1832. 
By a reference to page 379, our Correspondent will find an observation on the 
subject, by Mr. Rennie. 
On Raising Tulips from Seed. — "The seed, when ripe, should be cut, and 
laid to dry in the capsules at first. As soon as they are perfectly dry, they 
should be sown as thick as you please, in pans or flat pots, in a light sandy soil ; 
these must be placed in a frame, or some other situation where they will not be- 
come sodden with too much wet in winter, but, at the same time should be kept 
moderately moist. In the spring they will make their appearance ; and, when 
two or three inches high, should be pricked off in a light sandy soil, either in 
pots or in a bed. When planted out so young, they will not miss their removal, 
but will continue to grow, and if kept regularly moist, with a little protection, 
will probably continue to grow till they become of a flowering size ; or, if the 
leaves die away, the bulbs should not be dried, but should be set growing again 
as soon as possible ; the bulbs to be transplanted when in a dormant state. 
By this mode of treatment, we have flowered bulbs of the genus Amaryllis at 
one year old, and nearly all the sorts at two years old, sowing the seed as soon 
as ripe, and pricking them off singly in small pots, as soon as up ; then placing 
them in a hot-bed frame, and, as the pots fill with roots, shifting them in larger 
ones, keeping them in continual growth till they flower." 
Sweets Florists' Guide. 
March 14/A, 18.32. 
